Gross Anatomy of the Pectoral Girdle of Common Raven (Corvus corax)

Abstract

The pectoral girdle helps to attach pectoral limb to the body, thereby giving strength, range of motion to the wings and plays a functional role in flight mechanism of birds. Hence this study was conducted to document on gross anatomical features of pectoral girdle bones of adult common raven. The pectoral girdle was disarticulated from the dead carcasses of common raven and the bones were collected by wet maceration technique. The pectoral girdle comprised of scapula, clavicle and coracoid. The scapula of common raven was a sword shaped bone located parallel to the vertebral column with two extremities and a shaft. The cranial extremity presented a medial projection and a lateral articular facet, the glenoid cavity. The caudal extremity was extended upto the level of cranial border of ilium. The clavicle was ‘U’ shaped with a thicker and broader proximal end like human foot and the distal end was directed ventrally and fused to form small hypocleidium. The coracoid was the strongest bone among pectoral girdle with a hook like medial process and a glenoid fossa in its proximal end and had an elongated facet at the distal end for the sternal attachment. The gross anatomical features of pectoral girdle of common raven were almost similar to that of crow but varied with other birds.